Drag bucket



R. S. WEIMER DRAG BUCKET Filed May 2"?,A 1935 4 SheetsFSheef, l

Oct. 26, 1937. y R. s. wXl-:IMER

DRAG BUCKET Filed May 27; 19,35

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 26, 1937. Rs". wE'lMER DRAG BUCKET 4 sheets-sheet s @Filed uay 27, 1935 0ct..26, 1937. R. s. wEiMER 1 2,096,773

.DRAG BUCKET v Filed nay 21. 1935 y 4 sheets-sheet 4 shortened.

Patented Oct. 26A, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 'DRAG BUCKEII.` Raymond Samuel Weimer, Wilmington, Ill. Application May 27, 1935, Serial No. 23,618

1o claims.

This invention relates to improvements in drag buckets. A'

One object of the invention is to provide a rearwardly dumping bucket which is held against dumping action during elevation and transportation to the point of discharge by tension applied thereto directly by the drag line, thereby'eliminating the usual tholding line and sheave arrangement of conventional drag line equipment.

In the use of conventionaldragbuckets the greater the loadthe greater must be the tension on the holding line to restrain dumping action of the bucket as it is elevated and moved to the point of-discharge. The greater this tension on the holding line to restrain dumping, the more the bucket is drawn inwardly under the boom and hence the effective length of the boom is the present invention to provide a bucket so supported that increase in the load in the forward portion of the bucket tends to stabilize it and necessitates less tension on the drag line to prevent tilting whereby the bucket can be elevated under or nearly under the point of the boom and quite or nearly the full length of the boom can be utilized in dumping the bucket at points more remote from the machine with less manipulation of the cables and with greater dispatch between loads.

A further object of certain forms of the invention is to provide a bucket having aring walls which increase the load carrying capacity of the bucket without increasing its weight and which, because of such shape, offers greater resistance to deformation of the 'side walls, fllls more' readily -due to lesser side friction, and carries greater proportionate heaped or overloads than the conventional buckets having vertical side walls and oi' the same rated capacity.

By haring the walls of thebucket outwardly, its capacity is vincreased without increasing the height of the walls or increasing the .width of the base and the cutting lip, and since a narrower cutting lip will dig more readily into hard materiais under a given drag line tension, the improved bucket can be iilled with greater facility than a conventional bucket under such unfavorable excavating conditions. I

Since the improved bucket illls from the front and dumps from the rear, the material passes interruptedly through the bucket from front to rear. and scours the bucket more effectively than a conventional bucket which both nils and dumps from the front. The aring side walls, which oifer less resistance to the filling action, also It is. therefore, a further object of oier less resistance to the discharge of the material therefrom and hence the bucket dumps cleaner, especially with moist, clayey materials. than the conventional vertical walled buckets.

It is well known that as earthy materials are 5 cut out or scooped from their original compact position, the particles thereof are loosened and consequently -swell and occupy greater cubic space. This increase in volume generally is from fteen to thirty percent pf. the original volume l depending on the nature and condition ofthe material. As the cutting lip of the improved bucket breaks the material loose from its original position and moves under it, the material can swell outwardly and upwardly with less rel sistance from the side walls due to their inclination. 'I'he ow friction of the material is thus reduced and the bucket lls more readily than vertical walled buckets. a

Other objects relate to various features-of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specication and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken elevation of drag line ap- 25 paratus embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of one form of the improved drag bucket.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on lineA 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Flgure 3. Y

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modied form of bucket.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-8 35 of Figurer5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the bucket in discharging position.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a further modied form of the invention. v

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 9 9 of Figure 10, but showing the bucket in discharging position.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the bucket in closed position. u u

Figure 11 is a side elevation of another form of rearwardly dumping bucket.

Figure 12 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 13 is a sectional v'iew taken on line i3-I3 Figure 12, but illustrating the bucket in 50 A upper ends to the hoist members 21, as illustrated.'

ventional swinging power derrick havinga b oom II raised and lowered by means of cables I2. A

Windlass I3 of any approved form operates a drag line Il. One form 'of the improved bucket, indicated generally by the numeral I5, is shown carried by the conventional hoist line Il which operates over a sheave I1 in the usual manner.

The bucket I5 'is shown as provided with a bottom IB, side walls I9 and a rear wall 2II.- These walls are shown as flaring outwardly at an angle of approximately 35 degrees from the vertical, which disposes them at right angles to the angle of repose of the surface of aheaped load, indicated by dotted lines IIIa in'Figures 3 and 4. This angularity of the side and rear walls is preferred for general use for reasons hereinafter mentioned, but as will be seen, such angularity is not essential to the attainment of certain advantages of the present improvements since a bucket having vertical side and rear walls may be employed, if desired.

The excavating lip 2Ivof the bucket is shown as provided with a number of teeth 22. walls I9 extend forwardly of the teeth as shown and have the forward portions I9a thereof turned inwardly into near parallelism with the line of force exerted thereon by the drag line Il as shown in Figure 2.

Plates 23 and 24 are secured to the walls I9 and bottom I8 by welding at the edges and by intermediate rivets to stiffen the structure and take the wear at the excavating edge of the bucket. The lower edges of the forward portions of the side walls I9 are shown as being curved at v25 and constitute the cutting edges of the bucket side walls. y

Secured to the walls I9 of the bucket are eyebolts 26 to which the hoist members, such as chains 21, are attached. The hoist chains are held apart by a spreader bar 29 as shown in Figure 4, and at their upper ends are connected to the sheave I1 of the hoist cable I6.

Stop members 29 are attached at their lower ends to forward portions of the respective side walls I9 by means of eye-bolts 30 and at their The eyes 26 constitute the pivot members around which the bucket swings! to and from dumping position. These pivot points are located below and slightly forward of the center of gravity of the empty bucket whereby the bucket tends to tilt rearwardly from the position shown in Figure 3. The center of gravity of the empty bucket is at approximately the point marked C. G. in said figure. The drag line Il is branched at II, each branch 92 being attached to one of the forward ends of the side walls as by means ofa clevls 33 or-the like. drag line I4 the tendency is to swing the bucket clockwise, as viewed in Figures land 3, about the pivot points'or eyes 26. The stop members 29 limit this clockwise movement of the bucket when it has reached the load carrying position shown in Figure 3.

The center ofgravity of the illustrated bucket when normally loaded is to the rear of a vertical plane passing through the pivot points 29, for example, at point C. G., and hence upon releasing the drag line the loaded ,Jucket automatically tilts rearwardly to dump the load. As shown, the bucket preferably is provided with additional holes 29a for the eye-bolts 29 whereby the pivotal axis of the bucket can be shifted rearwardly of the point C. G. whereby the empty bucket'will lIhe side- When tension is applied to the.

tend to remain in substantially horizontal position when tension on the drag line is released.

Due to the inclined side walls of the bucket in themodification illustrated,it can carry' heaped loads which extend forwardly beyond the teeth 22. In loose, dry soils the bucket would not carry such loads, but in excavating clayey or other heavy or moist soils the bucket will carry a heaped load, the forward portion of which extends beyond the excavating lip of the bucket, since the inclined side walls I9 will sustain the forward portion of the load.

It will be seen that increasing the load in the forward portion of the bucket may result in the center of gravity of the loaded bucket being moved forwardly from the position C. G. to possibly the position C. G." or even farther to the right as viewed in Figure 3. I

As the center of gravity moves from point C. G. toward the vertical plane of the pivot points 26, less tension on the drag line I4 will be required to retain the loaded bucket in substantially horizontal or load carrying position. Hence it will be apparent that a bucket loaded to the maximum may be picked up by the hoist line Il approximately under the point of the boom as suggested by dash lines in Figure 1, since little or no tension on the drag line will be required to retain the bucket against dumping action. The tendency of such a forwardly placed load is to tend to tilt the bucket forwardly, but such movement will, of course, be limited by the stop members 29. These members also function to limit the forward tilting of the bucket when the drag line I4 is taken in by the windlass I 3 to stabilize anormal load having its center of gravity to the yrear of the pivot points 2B.

In the event the center of gravity of the loaded bucket is positioned forwardly of a vertical plane passing through the points 29, the bucket will not be self dumping, in which case it will be necessary for the operator to dump it by a jerk on the drag line to shift the load rearwardly or by bumping it against the spoil pile, or load receiving vehicle, for example.

Where inclined walls are employed it is, of

course, more satisfactory to attach the chains` 21 and stop members 29 tothe interior of the bucket. If vertical walls are employed, as in conventional buckets, the members 21 and 29 can attached to the outside. if desired.

By inclining the walls; however, as described, additional advantages are obtained.` HAs the teeth of the improved buckets, or any bucket for that matter, are drawn into they earth by the drag line, the soil is loosened not only directly above the teeth or excavating edge of the bucket, but also in an outwardly flaring angle. By inclining the sides 'of the bucket this loosened earth is scooped into the bucket and it is thusy necessary to drag the bucket a shorter distance to obtain a load. '111e i'iow friction of the material with the tion from the stresses normally encountered in.

use. An additional advantage of the inclined walls is that the heaped-load capacity of the bucket is very substantially increased without increase in the weight ofthe bucket.

For example, ifa bucket with vertical sida and `rear walls has a normal level-load capacity of six A cubic yards of loose earth or other granular material, it will carry a heaped load of approximately seven and one half yards of such material, the angleof repose of such material being about 55 degrees to the vertical. If the side and rear walls of such bucket are inclined 15 degrees vto the vertical, it will carry a level load of slightly less than six andvthre'e fourths yards and a heaped load of approximately nine yards of the same material. If the walls should be further inclined to an angle of 35' degrees from the vertical, in which position the walls will be at an angle of 90 degrees to the angle ofvrepose of the material, the bucket will carry a level load'of slightly more than six and three fourths yards, `and a heaped load of approximately eleven and one half yards.

' Inclining the walls to a greater extent reduces the heaped-load carrying ,capacityv of the bucket. The maximum heaped load carrying capacity is attained by having the ared sides at a right angle to the angle of repose of heaped material. With loose earth materials this will position the side walls at approximately 35- degrees to the vertical, but where the nature of the material is such that the angle of reposeis different from the example given, the walls may be given a compensating angle to enable the bucket to carry the greatest load.

The improved bucket having aJ wider mouth, due to the flaring side walls, loads more rapidly and it is not necessary to drag the bucket so great a distance to obtain a load, it being understood f that operators frequently can swing the buckets beyond the point of the boom, or due to the nature of the terrain, the empty bucket may gravitate to positions beyond the end of the boom. Due to the fact that the greater the load the less is the tension required on the drag line to prevent rearward tipping of the bucket, it can be raised from the ground substantially under the point of the boom when loaded to the maximum and thus can be discharged at a point more remote from the machine, without unnecessarily elevating the load, than would be possible were it necessary to exert greatentension on the drag line to restrain dumping action and thus draw the bucket farther under the point of the boom. Not only canthe im'- proved bucket be operated with greater facility than a conventional forward dumping bucket, but it fills more readily and carries greater loads than a bucket having vertical lvvalls but of the same rated capacity.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 is similar in principle to that above described. The bucket is indicated generally by the numeral 35, and preferably has inclined side and curved rear walls as shown in Figure 5. -In this form of the bucket, however, the chains or flexible members 21 and 29 oftheabove described contact with the bottom 39 of the bucket when.`

the latter is in load carrying position.

The hoist lines 4I are attached to the upper ends of the plates 36 and the drag line 42 is attached to the forward ends of the side Walls at points above the plane of the teeth. 1f the center of gravity of the unloaded bucket is at approxi- These plates extend mately the point marked C. G. inv Figure 6, the tendency of the bucket will be to tilt counterclockwise to dumping position. Holes 38a, however, enable the yoke 38 to be moved rearwardly of the bucket, thus shifting its pivotal axis rearwardly for varying its tendency to tilt when empty or when carrying a normal or a heaped or abnormal load. Tension on the drag line 42tends to swing the bucket clockwise about the pivots 31 until the bottom thereof contacts with the lower ends of the plates 36. The plates thus constitute stops to limit the forward tilting of the bucket as do the stop chains 29 in the form above described. The chains 29, however, are tension members while the plates 3B are compression members, the former extending to points forwardly of the pivotal axis and the latter to points at the rear thereof to restrain forward tilting of the bucket beyond load' retaining position'by tension exerted on the drag line for the purpose of stabilizing the bucket during elevation or transportation, or by a load the center of gravity of which is forward of the pivotal axis.

When the bucket has a normal load the center of gravity may, for example, be approximately at the point marked C. G.', that. is, at a pointinA a vertical plane at the rear of the pivotal axis, and when the tension on the drag line 42 is released the'bucket` will, of course, tilt rearwardly to discharge the load. l

By increasing the load in the forward portion of the bucket the center of gravity will move forwardly and may reach a point where the bucket tends to tilt forwardly. vThis tilting action is. however, restrained by the contact of the bottom 39 with the lower ends or stops 48 of the plates 36. The bucket when so loaded can be` elevated directly beneath the point of the boom, since no tension on the drag line will be required to hold it against tilting rearwardly. As will be seen, the pivotal axis of the bucket may be shifted rearwardly by changing the position of the yoke 38 asA `mentioned above whereby a normaLload can be elevated under, or nearly under the boom.

Ifthe center of gravity of the loaded bucket is such that the bucket does not dump automatically when tension on the line 42 is released, it may be upset by swinging the bucket against the spoil pile or receiving container, or dumped by a jerk on the drag line which shifts the load rearwardly a distance sufficient to upset the bucket. y

Normally, however, such excessive load would not be obtained in the usual operation of the bucket, but it will be appreciated that as the load approaches such maximum the tension on the point of the drag line 42 which is necessary to hold the bucket in load carrying position during g elevation and transporation to the point of discharge is reduced,

lines in Figure 1, insteadof being drawn well under the boom, as indicated in full lines in said figure, is possible. g

Thebucket shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 comprises a bottom 45 having .digging teeth 46 at its forward edge or lip and is pivoted at 41 to a hood 48. The bottom 45 is provided with double side walls 49 between which are disposed the side walls of the hood 48. The pivots 41 pass through the double walls 49 and the side walls 50 of the hood in attaching the two members'together.

'I'he drag line 5I is attached to the pivoted bottom at a point 52 above and forwardly of the teeth of the base as in the previously described embodiments of the invention. y y

The hoist line il passes around a sheave M which is secured by any suitable member 55 to the upper portion of the hood. When sui'llcient tension is applied on the drag line 5I with the bucket parts in the position shown in Figure 9, the bottom 45 will be moved into the hood closing position illustrated in Figures 8 and l0. When the bucket has been loaded by moving it through the soil by means of theldrag line Si, it can be elevated by the hoist line 53 and held in closed position by maintaining proper tension on' the drag line. 'I'he lower edges 50a of the side walls 50 of the hood constitute compression stop members which limit forward tilting of the base I! beyond load sustaining position by tension exerted on the drag line or by a load which, due to its forwardly located center of gravity, tends to tilt the base forwardly.

With the center of gravity of the pivoted base at C. G. (see Figure 8) the bottom will swing to open position when tension on the drag line is released. If the center of gravity of a. normallyy therefore, be elevated more nearly under the point of theboom as in the previously described modini cations of the invention.

An additional form of theimproved bucket which has been found satisfactory in use is illustrated in Figures 1l to 13, inclusive. In this form of the invention the bucket has side walls 5i to the'forward portions andto the bottom of which is attached a reinforcing member l1 having ears Il spaced therefrom for accommodating the ends of thearms which carry the hood 0l,therear portion Il vof which is arranged to close the open rear end of the bucket. 'I'he arms 50 are attached' to the ears Il by the pivot members I2.

The excavating teeth l are attached to the lip oil the bucket and are positioned rearwardly of the forward ends M of the member i1' to which ends the drag line branches 0I are attached. A number of openings Si are provided at the forward ends Il for altering the points of attachment of the drag line for varying the depth of the cut of the bucket. L

The hood 6l comprises a plate 61 which is reinforced by the beams or angle irons il.` The sheave I9, around which passes the hoist line 1l, may be attached to the member il at any one of a series of openings 1|. When tension is applied to the drag line the bucket is swung clockwise about its pivot 52, as viewed in Figure 13, to move the bucket into the position -shown in Figure 11.

When the bucket has been loaded in the usual manner sufllcient tension is applied to the drag line to prevent counterclockwise movement of the bucket from the position illustrated in Figure. 11 as the load is being elevated. It will thus be seen that the closure member Il prevents loss of the load at the rear of the bucket during loading and transportation.

Upon releasing the drag line 65 the load will tilt the bucket to the discharging position shown in Figure 13. 'I'he side plates 51 may be provided wardly of the pivotal supports the latter is restrained from tilting clockwise w beyond load carryingposition by the contact of the rear end of the bucket with the closure plate 8|. The hood thus acts as a compression stop member to prevent forward tilting of the bucket beyond load carrying position when the load tends to tilt the bucket forwardly, as well as when the center of gravity of the load is to the rear of the pivotal axis andtension is applied to the drag line to retain the bucket in load carrying position as the bucket is being hoisted and transported toL discharging Position.

In each form of the buckets described, the material is discharged in a direction away from the machine. whereby the effective length of the boom is increased slightly as compared with buckets which dump toward the machine. y

By flaring the walls of the buckets shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, they illl more readily, thus requiring a shorter haul on the drag line, their carrying capacity is increased with no increase in weight of the bucket, andtheirYI ability to retain a -greater proportion of the ,load at points forris increased, which tendsto stabilize the buckets, making it possible to elevate them under or nearly under the point of the boom and requiring less manipulation of the cables in elevating and discharging the-buckets at points most remote from the machine.

While the improved lbucket has been described in conjunction with conventional drag line' equipment, it may be used also to advantage with thev Ain Figures 5, 6 and '1. The line 15 is attached to the compression stop members a while the line 15 is attached to the forward end of the bucket. In other words, line 15 is the hoist line and 16 is the drag line. y Y

The structures 1I and 1 4 are provided with cable windlasses, not shown, for hauling in the respective lines 15, 15. #In the illling operation l the cable Il is slack and the bucket is hauled to the right by line Il until the bucket is filled. .The lines can then be tightened to elevate the bucket,

and with both lines sufficiently taut, as shown infull lines, the bucket can be transported to a position adjacent the boom 14a.

Releasing thefline 15 (as shown vin dash lines) permits the bucket to swing and turn to the and discharge the load upon the spoil pile 1l.

By the arrangement shown, the excavated ma- I terial can be discharged on either of the two spoil piles on opposite sides of the excavation 19 without altering the position of the machines 13, 14.

While line 16 is the haul line by means of which' the bucket is loaded, the line 15, which corresponds to the hoist line of the usual arrangement, is released to eiect the dumping of the bucket upon the spoil pile 11, while the haul line 18 is released to effect the discharge upon the spoil pile 18, the bucket in each instance dumping from l the rear.

By reversing the attachment of the two lines to the bucket, the line 15 will become the haul line and the bucket will fill when drawn to the left, the line 16 becoming the hoist line.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my improvements for\the purpose of illustration, I do not wish to be restricted specically thereto except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rearwardly dumping bucket having pivotal supporting means, located below and forwardly v of the center of gravity of the normal load, said' bucket being arranged for the attachment of a drag line to the forward end thereof at an ele- "vation above the pivotal axis of the bucket whereby tension -on said line resists rearward tilting of the bucket, and tension stop means resisting forward tilting of the bucket beyond load carrying position by said drag line or by a load the center of gravity of which is located forwardly of a vertical plane through the pivotal axis of the bucket.

2. A rearwardly dumping bucket having pivotal supporting means located below and forwardly of the center of gravity of the normal load, said bucket being arranged for the attachment of a drag line to the forward end thereof at an elevation above the pivotal axis of the bucket whereby tension on said.' line .resists rearward tilting of the bucket, and compression stop means within the bucket and arranged to engage the base thereof for resisting forward tilting of the bucket beyond load carrying position by said drag line or by a load the center of gravity of which is located forwardly of a vertical plane through the pivotal axis of the bucket.

3. A rearwardly dumping bucket havinga hoist line attaching means pivotally secured thereto at opposite points located below and forwardly of the center of gravity of a normal load whereby the bucket tends to tilt rearwardly to dumping position, a drag line attached to the forward'end of the bucket at points above thev pivotal axis thereof whereby tension exerted on said line resists rearward tilting movement ofthe bucket to dumping position, and stop members connected to said hoist means and to forward portions of the bucket for limiting forward tilting action of said bucket by said drag line at load O sustaining position. r

4. A rearwardly dumping bucket provided wit side and rear walls, a hoist line attaching means load tends to tilt the bucket into .position for discharge over said rear wall, means for attach-` ing a haul line to said bucket at points disposed y forwardly of and above said pivotal axis whereby tension can be exerted on said line to restrain rearward tiltingof the bucket and stop members engaging said hoist Y line attaching means inwardly of said side walls and engaging portions of the bucketremote from said piv.-

bucket beyond load carrying position.

5. A rearwardly dumping bucket provided with side walls "and an outwardly aring rear wall, pivot means for attaching a hoist line to the bucket at points forwardly of andv below the center of gravity of a normal load whereby the load tends to tilt thev bucket sumciently rearwardly to discharge the load over said rear wall, means for attaching a haul line tothe forward end of the bucket at an elevation above the pivotal axis of the bucket whereby tension can be applied to said line to restrain such rearward tilting action and stop means disposed inwardly `otal axis to restrain forward tilting action of the 4 l of -said side walls and extendingfrom said hoist providedV discharge the load over said rear wall, means for attaching a haul line to the bucket at points above and forwardly of the pivotal axis 4of the bucket for restraining rearward dumping movement of the bucket, and exlble stop means secured to said hoist line attaching means and to forward portions of the bucket for preventing forward tilting action of the bucket beyond load carrying position.

'1. A rearwardly dumping bucket provided with aring side walls, a rear wall over which the load is discharged, and a bottom having an excavating lip at the forward edge thereof, hoist line attaching means pivotally secured to the bucket at points forwardly of and below the center of gravity of a normal load whereby the bucket tends to tilt rearwardly, stop means carried by the bucket for restraining forward tilting action thereofv beyond load carrying position, and haul line attaching means at the-forward end of the bucket located above the pivotal axis thereof for restraining rearward tilting action of the bucket, said flaring side walls extending forwardly of said excavating lip for sustaining portions of the load forwardly of the pivotal axis whereby lesstension on the drag line is required to resist rearward tilting action of the loaded bucket during elevation and transportation thereof.

8. A rearwardly dumping bucket having a hoist attaching means pivotally secured thereto at opposite points located below and forwardly of the center of gravity of a normal load whereby the bucket tends totilt rearwardly to dumping position, drag means attached to the forward end of the bucket at points above the pivotal axis thereof whereby tension exerted on said drag means resists rearward tilting movement of the bucket to dumping position, and exible means extending from adjacent the forward end of the bucket to said hoist attaching means for limiting forward tilting action of the bucket by said drag means at load sustaining position.

9. A rearwardly dumping bucket having a hoist attaching means pivotally secured thereto at opposite points located below and `forwardly of the center of gravity of a normalload whereby the bucket tends to tilt rearwardly to dumping position, drag means attached to the forward end of `the bucket at points above the pivotal axis thereof whereby tension exerted on said drag means resists rearward tilting movement of the bucket to dumping position, and flexible means'attached to 15 the hoist means and extending forwardlyitherefrom and arranged to limit forward tilting action of the bucket by said drag means at load sustaining position.

10. A rearwardly dumping bucket having a pivotal axis so disposed with respect to a normal load that the bucket tends to tilt rearwardly, said Abucket being provided with an excavating lip, a rear wall over which the load is discharged when the bucket is moved to dumping position, and outwardly aring side walls projecting forwardly o f said excavating lip for sustaining portions of a load forwardly of the pivotal axis to reduce the 

